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New Poll: Americans Favor a Guest Worker Plan
Time ^ | March 31 2006 | JYOTI THOTTAM

Posted on 03/31/2006 2:08:49 PM PST by jmc1969

Americans polled by TIME magazine show strong support for a guest-worker program and a process for undocumented workers to become citizens, but they take a tough stance on securing the borders. And most do not want illegal immigrants to have access to health care, public education or driver's licenses.

In the telephone survey of 1004 adults, conducted Wednesday and Thursday, 79% say they favor a guest worker program that would allow illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. for a fixed period of time — the main provision of the bill proposed by Senators John McCain and Edward Kennedy that is now under fierce debate in Congress. Only 47% of those polled say they support the tougher measure backed by some House conservatives, deporting all illegal immigrants back to their home countries.

Although Americans want to give illegal immigrants the chance to work in the U.S. temporarily and even earn citizenship—78% say illegal immigrants who learn English, have a job and pay taxes ought to have a chance at it—they also want better enforcement both at the border and inside the country. A large majority, 71%, favor major penalties for people who hire illegal immigrants; 62% want the U.S. to take "whatever steps are necessary" to secure the border with Mexico, including posting military forces; and 56% favor a 2,000-mile-long fence. That two-pronged approach to illegal immigration is the same one favored by President Bush, who wants both a guest worker program and tighter border security.

(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Mexico; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 109th; borderfence; guestworker; illegals; immigrationreform; poll; wishfulliberals; wishfulpollsters; wishfultraitors
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To: Dog Gone
It may come as a shock to those most vocal about this at this forum, but most Americans aren't for a program of putting landmines on the border or deporting all Mexicans.

They don't mind them here if they are here legally, paying taxes, and doing hard work.

Yep. And the Senate knows that, and, I suspect, so do the more honest members of the House.

Either some form of the Senate bill will pass, or no bill will pass.

Rasmussen's latest poll on the subject shows that, while 65% of Americans think securing the borders is more important than expanding legal opportunities for foreign workers, the country is almost evenly split when asked if there should be a way for illegals with jobs to stay in the United States.

Clearly, the public sentiment is not reflected on Free Republic as was the case with the UAE ports deal.

41 posted on 03/31/2006 3:03:34 PM PST by sinkspur (Things are about to happen that will answer all your questions and solve all your problems.)
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To: jmc1969

What a load of crap. These polls change that much in 24 hours,I don't think so.


42 posted on 03/31/2006 3:05:25 PM PST by puppypusher
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To: jmc1969

Let's find out how many FReepers bought that rag-mag. How many take the many rag newpapers? How many support the movie industry? I'll take it a step further. I haven't bought a Tyson product since Bubba was elected. How many are willing to take a day off work & protest this amnesty crapola?


43 posted on 03/31/2006 3:07:22 PM PST by Digger
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To: ThoreauHD
Beaners are just invading with their governments approval. That's it.

In 6 years- Texas and California will be Mexican. The Alamo indeed.

My wife is a "beaner." She's laughing because she hasn't heard that epithet since, well, another mongrel racist threw it at her a few years ago.

44 posted on 03/31/2006 3:12:00 PM PST by sinkspur (Things are about to happen that will answer all your questions and solve all your problems.)
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To: skeeter

I work at home. I have a landline. I live in a blue state. I have not been polled in 25 years.


45 posted on 03/31/2006 3:15:23 PM PST by reformedliberal
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To: jmc1969

Possibilities:

-Time just proved they have the most uninteligent readers

-The poll is WAY skewed.

-The question reported is the the ACTUAL QUESTION asked.

The poll has zero credibility if they said convertabilty to citizenship did not matter.


46 posted on 03/31/2006 3:21:40 PM PST by longtermmemmory (VOTE!)
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To: jmc1969

I no longer believe anything Time publishes. Last week's global warming tripe is typical.

Therefore it is fortunate that I quit subscribing to Time many years ago. Saves a lot of anger and stress.

Stress causes me to have alopecia ariata. Can anyone top that?


47 posted on 03/31/2006 3:44:07 PM PST by Ole Okie
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To: Dog Gone
That question asks us to assume the guest worker program is truly temporary and will be enforced. Not something that can be safely assumed.
48 posted on 03/31/2006 3:59:07 PM PST by mthom
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To: mthom

True, but I'm not sure that line of thought gets you anywhere.

We could pass a law tonight that says all illegal aliens will be rounded up and shot. I'm afraid there would be massive cheers here, but I don't think that law would be enforced.

So, we have to deal with what is possible, feasible, and likely to be enforced.

Right now, at this forum, the discussion isn't addressing that at all. It's everywhere else but there.


49 posted on 03/31/2006 4:08:25 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: Dog Gone
The point of my last post being that people voted yes on a program that would be temporary and enforced. Im surprised more didnt support that. If it was put as a program that might be temporary and might be somewhat effectively enforced you can be that the percentage wouldve been, uh, slightly lower. The main reason I support a fence. A fence cant choose to not do its job.
50 posted on 03/31/2006 4:12:25 PM PST by mthom
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To: jmc1969
BS...they polled current Time subscribers maybe!

Any active duty or recently retired folks remember how Time, SI, etc were supplied free to the military? Once the obvious brainwashing attempt was discovered, it was quietly discontinued, although that took a few years. Probably once they figured out their efforts were NOT causing massive military Dumocrat conversions.

Or maybe that was when the subscriptions rates began to tank.
51 posted on 03/31/2006 4:21:32 PM PST by tongue-tied
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To: tongue-tied

This poll is highly unreliable. Its the same as the exit polls predicting Kerry would win.


52 posted on 03/31/2006 4:28:38 PM PST by jackadams
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To: jackadams

It's obvious they read the poll backwards, or they only polled people in Los Angeles.


53 posted on 03/31/2006 4:32:09 PM PST by Indygal
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To: mthom
A fence would help, but it would not be a panacea. Any Mexican who can pay a coyote $3000 to help cross the border can also board a flight in Mexico City to Canada and then cross the border from there.

IMO, a fence will slow down and delay many would-be crossers. But I've had a long standing challenge to anyone here which hasn't been accepted. Give me $5000 and I'll find a way to post an email and post a thread to this forum from any country on the planet.

Nobody has a secure border that will keep someone out with the right connections or $$$.

54 posted on 03/31/2006 5:11:42 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: jmc1969

Rigged


55 posted on 03/31/2006 5:12:57 PM PST by Sunnyflorida ((Elections Matter)
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To: jmc1969

How did they twist the wording of the questions to get the results they wanted with this poll?


56 posted on 03/31/2006 5:13:47 PM PST by Fledermaus (I agree - there ARE jobs Americans aren't willing to do. Bush doesn't seem to want to do President!)
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To: jmc1969
In the telephone survey of 1004 adults, conducted Wednesday and Thursday, 79% say they favor a guest worker program that would allow illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. for a fixed period of time — the main provision of the bill proposed by Senators John McCain and Edward Kennedy that is now under fierce debate in Congress. Only 47% of those polled say they support the tougher measure backed by some House conservatives, deporting all illegal immigrants back to their home countries.

OK, now lets have a poll of Americans taken who aren't "Mexican-American".....

57 posted on 03/31/2006 5:22:32 PM PST by EGPWS
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To: Dog Gone
Although I favor a guest worker program, I don't place any trust in a Time poll. It has been my experience that my position is in the minority here on FR. As far as the general public, I will wait to see what Rasmussen says. I just don't trust Time, even when they are agreeing with me.

Your point about the discussion is spot on. I see a lot of knee-jerk reactions, outright lies, and even some racism on the posts about immigration.

How many Freepers understand the social construct of Mexico? How many know that Fox is the BEST president we could have had over the last 6 years? How many understand that the leading candidate (mayor of Mexico city) is 100 times worse than Fox, and is an ally of Caesar Chavez of Venezuela? How many Freepers know that there is NO medical insurance or social security in Mexico? How many know that in order to get admitted to a hospital you have to pay in advance?

Until people are willing to discuss the WHY'S of illegal immigration, we are never going to find a solution.

58 posted on 03/31/2006 5:26:30 PM PST by Miss Marple (Lord, please look after Mozart Lover's and Jemian's sons and keep them strong.)
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To: The Old Hoosier

79% + 47% = 126%

Only in polls and sports peptalks can one get more than 100 percent.


59 posted on 03/31/2006 5:29:47 PM PST by stands2reason
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To: stifflittlefinger

Welcome to FR. Enjoy your visit.


60 posted on 03/31/2006 5:32:26 PM PST by stands2reason
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